Essential Estrogen

The presidential campaign for New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton appeared less than enthusiastic in its return to Iowa in March to battle once again for the state’s delegates at county conventions. It was a costly mistake and one, it now seems, the campaign has no desire to repeat. Yesterday, Iowa delegates who remain pledged [...]

Although there might not be a big rally planned for tonight or any former presidents walking down Main Street, the Hawkeye State has once again become a hotbed of national Democratic political activity. Tomorrow is the day of Democratic county conventions. While these take place for both Republicans and Democrats throughout the state after every [...]

Just one week from today, each of Iowa’s 99 counties will host their Democratic county conventions. It’s a development that has sparked the previously successful grassroots organization of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama back into action. In an email to supporters on Friday, the Obama campaign provided detailed information based on county of residence as well [...]

Hello, everyone! It’s 6:30 p.m. and people are continuing the file in the door of the gymnasium at Vernon Middle School in Marion. It’s difficult to say how many are here tonight as more than one precinct is sharing the area. 6:38 p.m. — I’d estimate that there are 300 people in the room right [...]

… attacks on former Gov. Mitt Romney arrive in Iowa all the way from Massachusetts. A letter is being circulated in Iowa from primarily Massachusetts activists that accuses “conservative elites” of selling out principles and ignoring the grassroots by supporting Romney. In a press release late Wednesday by the Parents’ Rights Coalition/MassResistance, the letter was [...]

Iowa women, just like many women throughout the nation, entered this election season with high hopes. For the first time in history, there would be a front-running woman vying for the nation’s highest office. More importantly, after surviving the sound bite days of “soccer moms” and “security moms,” women were ready to stand politically independent [...]

… Iowans are having flashbacks to 2004. During the 2004 caucus, Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich instructed his supporters to join forces with then North Carolina Sen. John Edwards if they were not viable at the precinct level. Many credited the influx of support from Kucinich with propelling Edwards to a second place finish in Iowa [...]

… the last Des Moines Register poll before the caucus shows former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama as strong. Huckabee is shown with a six-point lead over former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the next closest candidate in the Republican field. The span between the two is virtually unchanged since the Register’s [...]

… Iowa phones are ringing off the hook. Several odd poll-type phone calls have been hitting households in eastern Iowa. One of the calls begins by asking if the recipient thinks favorably of President George W. Bush. Regardless of the response, the next question is if the individual plans to attend the Republican caucus. If [...]

… retail politics is just another synonym for family. Barack Obama’s mother-in-law, Marian Robinson, and sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, were walking through neighborhoods in snowy eastern Iowa Saturday afternoon. The pair was canvassing door-to-door on behalf of their family member, the Illinois Senator. Afterward, they delivered at least three signed supporter cards to headquarters. Obama’s wife, [...]